Proving Ground
In the Vulcan vs. Andoria '' |image= |series= |production=40358-313 |producer(s)= |story= |script=Chris Black |director=David Livingston |imdbref=tt0572228 |guests=Molly Brink as Lieutenant Talas, Randy Oglesby as Degra, Scott MacDonald as Commander Dolim, Tucker Smallwood as Xindi-Primate Councilor, Rick Worthy as Jannar, Granville Van Dusen as Andorian General, Jeffrey Combs as Commander Shran and Josh Drennen as Degra's Assistant |previous_production=Chosen Realm |next_production=Stratagem |episode=ENT S03E13 |airdate=21 January 2004 |previous_release=Chosen Realm |next_release=Stratagem |story_date(s)=6 December 2153 |previous_story=Chosen Realm |next_story=Stratagem }} =Summary= Enterprise, despite losing most of its map data, continues to traverse a series of spatial anomalies in the Delphic Expanse. When heavily damaged by a particularly dangerous vortex, Enterprise is suddenly pulled clear by an Andorian ship. The ship's leader, Shran, claims he is only interested in helping Enterprise in its mission to subvert the Xindi's weapon, in the interest of forming a closer alliance with humanity. With the Andorian's true motives unknown, Captain Archer agrees to allow them to work together to repair their ship and to scan the test-site of the Xindi weapon. When the test-device overloads, Shran permits Archer to command his crew in the coming battle. With Enterprise distracting the Xindi, the Andorian vessel grabs the weapon and stores it aboard. With the prize secured, it is revealed that the Andorians actually have no interest in helping the humans, but are rather self-serving: they merely want to acquire the weapon to give them an advantage in their border conflict with the Vulcans. Archer is then escorted to an escape-pod. Soon back aboard Enterprise, he threatens to detonate the weapon unless the Andorians surrender it. This ultimatum is resisted by Shran, but when Archer activates the detonation sequence, he reluctantly ejects it. The weapon explodes, damaging the Andorian ship but leaving Enterprise unscathed. As Enterprise resumes its mission, they intercept a hidden transmission, containing highly detailed scans of the prototype. Realizing Shran did indeed help them, since "whoever sent it obviously didn't want it to be noticed", Archer laughs and orders it transmitted to Starfleet. =Errors and Explanations= Nit Central # The Undesirable Element on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 6:59 pm: Degra knows who Archer is. Shouldn't he be suspicious when Shran asks for Archerite? (Although perhaps he didn't pick it up in the translation or something) He should at least have scanned the Andorian ship and found a human and Vulcan lifesign. TJFleming on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 6:48 am: which raises the question, How does the UT translate made-up words in the first place? (Of course, we learn later that someone's UT is malfunctioning when Shran tries to protest that he doesn't serve at Archer's pleasure, but it comes out "leisure.") LUIGI NOVI on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 3:58 pm: Isn’t that word usage just as correct? Doing something at one’s “leisure” is, as far as I know, grammatically correct. # Sparrow47 on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 8:59 pm: The Xindi seemed rather displeased with the fact that the prototype only split the moon in two. And yet, I'm thinking that if you launched a similar attack on say, Earth, the results would be pretty devastaiting, especially since Earth has an active mantle you could disrupt. They were probably expecting it to shatter! # So... since they were sharing the same data, how did the Andorians manage to miss the Xindi code data? They may not have recognised it! # I didn't quite buy that the Xindi didn't have enough radiation shielding in place to go retrieve the prototype right away. LUIGI NOVI on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 3:58 pm: I just understood that they were farther away than the Enterprise and the Kumari. Dan Gunther on Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 4:02 pm: Nope. It's stated outright that the Xindi have to wait until the radiation levels drop in order to retrieve the prototype. # Christopher Q on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 4:35 am: Why didn't Shran just try to find the Xindi weapon himself without first finding Enterprise? Did he suspect that Archer would know where it is? KAM on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 4:46 am: If Archer were still alive they, presumably, would have more information on the region. Also I think Shran likes Archer & wanted to know if he were alive or dead. LUIGI NOVI on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 3:58 pm: Of course he did. The Enterprise is the one with Future Guy’s instructions on where to find the Xindi, and all the data they’ve collected thus far. The Andorians have zip. # Clint X on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 10:39 am: No one is discussing the question of who sent the encrypted data on the weapon to Enterprise. I thought this was left a bit mysterious or certainly unstated. Was it Shran, helping his pinkskin friend Captain Archer, or maybe Talas out of newfound respect for Reed, or some other Blueguy that we don't even know? ScottN on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 12:47 pm: I assumed it was Shran. Look at his arguments with his superior. Clint X on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 1:38 pm: Shran is definitely a prime, and obvious, suspect in the sending of the data but how would he have done it? Talas seemed to be acting a little odd the last time we saw her on the bridge and didn't she have access to the sensors and communications? Is Shran the only Blueguy who would be willing to help the Pinkskins? That seems unlikely. # LUIGI NOVI on Friday, January 23, 2004 - 11:56 am: In Act 2, Shran conducts reconnaissance on Degra’s test of the Xindi weapon by passing himself off as a miner looking for a rare element called “Archerite,” and his ship as a mining ship working for the “Andorian Mining Consortium.” First, doesn’t he think that Degra will recognize his ship as a warship when he scans the propulsion, weapons and sensors on his ship that he and Talas indicated in Act 1 were far more sophisticated than Enterprise’s? It would make sense for a mining ship to have good propulsion, weapons and shield - the first to reach mining areas quickly, and the othes to protect what has been mined from thieves. # Moreover, shouldn’t such a scan pick up a human and Vulcan lifesign? Depends of the abilities of the Xindi scanners and their operators, and the internal shielding on the Andorian ship. # If the radiation posed by the weapon makes it impossible to keep in the Enterprise’s Launch Bay for the first six hours after the failed test, why doesn’t the Enterprise simply grab it with the grappler, and drag it away? They wouldn’t even have to stay close to it the entire trip; they’d only have to drag it in the direction they want and let the momentum do the rest until six hours pass. Why let the Andorians do it? The radiation may disrupt the grappler, and stop it from working. # Also, if this is a prototype, how can it be small enough to fit inside either ship, when the actual operational weapon seen in Twilight was many times larger than an entire Starfleet vessel? Aren’t prototypes the first version of the operational product? Many designes are tested via use of scale models. Category:EpisodesCategory:Enterprise